The iPhone gets new security features with iOS 15.4, making it easier to keep track of passwords and solving an annoying website login glitch.
The iPhone just got an update and Apple added new security features that make it a bit easier to stay safe and keep track of what is happening with various logins. The iPhone is one of the most privacy-focused smartphones on the market and among the safest to use. Part of the reason for that is regular updates and long-lasting support.
Apple has offered iOS updates for some iPhone models for as long as seven years. In fact, the iPhone 6S which was released in 2015 can still install iOS 15. Naturally, every newer model can as well, including the original iPhone SE. For comparison, some competing manufacturers only support their smartphones for three years, making the iPhone a much more valuable phone in the long run. That means an iPhone stays secure and up to date more than twice as long as some devices.
Apple keeps adding more new features to its iPhone password manager, one of the most important aspects of security, and iOS 15.4 brings a couple of very nice changes. One is a correction of a flaw with how passwords are collected and stored in the iPhone’s built-in password manager. Some websites ask for only a username to begin with and follow up with a password request on the next page. Safari doesn’t connect these two actions together leaving some stored passwords without a username. The latest update, which is currently in beta, will pop up a request for a username if one isn’t found at the time the password is being saved, eliminating this annoying problem. Reddit user, freaktheclown, spotted the change which is not referenced in Apple’s release notes.
The iPhone’s built-in password manager has several helpful features to help keep track of logins, keep online browsing safe, and iPhone usage secure. Since iOS 12, the iPhone can check for weak and compromised passwords. In 2021, a code generator for two-factor authentication (2FA) was added, although it seemed to fail on occasion. In the latest beta update, 2FA is working well and a new option, also found by freaktheclown, appears to add a note to each login, making it easier to keep track of what it is related to.
Domain names are sometimes not the same as the name of a manufacturer or service provider. In some cases, multiple Safari browser logins might be associated with a particular website. By typing a brief note, it will clarify what the website is about, its purpose, and what various logins are used for. This can make a big difference when scanning through the massive list of passwords that are usually stored on an iPhone.
